Rainbow Springs, at the head of Rainbow River

The Rainbow River Path

Fishing for Mermaids in 1956
Rainbow Springs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Rainbow Springs, Florida)
Rainbow Springs, formerly known as
Blue Spring, is a first-magnitude artesian
spring formation in Marion County,
Florida, United States, several miles
north of the city of Dunnellon. Rainbow
Springs is the focal point of Rainbow
Springs State Park. The spring formation
is the fourth-largest in Florida, and
produces over 490 million gallons of
water daily. Rainbow Springs forms the
headwaters of the Rainbow River, which
empties into the Withlacoochee River.
History
Rainbow Springs was known as Wekiwa Creek by the Seminole Indians.
It was known as Blue Spring until the 1930s, when the site was developed as a
tourist attraction and the promoter sought a more distinctive name (there are several
other springs in Florida named "Wekiwa" and "Blue"). To compete with the "glass
bottom boats" of nearby Silver Springs, Florida, submarine tours were given of the
springs. As for some other Florida springs, such as Weeki Wachee Springs,
"mermaid shows" were an attraction in the 1950s. The tourist attraction was forced
to close in the 1970s.
The entire Rainbow River was designated as a Registered Natural Landmark in
1972, an Aquatic Preserve in 1986, and an "Outstanding Florida Waterway" in
1987. The land around the headwaters of the springs remained privately owned until
1990, when the State of Florida acquired the springs and saved them from
development. Much of the work to open Rainbow Springs State Park was done by
volunteers from the community.
See also
Rainbow River
External links
Rainbow Springs State Park (http://www.floridastateparks.org/rainbowsprings)
Withlacoochee River Watershed and Rainbow Springs - Florida DEP
(http://www.protectingourwater.org/watersheds/map/withlacoochee/)
1950s Recording of a Rainbow Springs boat driver (from the Florida Folklife Collection CD, available for public use
Coordinat es: 290609N 822613W
from the Florida State Archives) (http://www.floridamemory.com/Collections/folklife/folklife_cd.cfm)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rainbow_Springs&oldid=611103249"
Categories: Landforms of Marion County, Florida Springs of Florida Mermaid shows
This page was last modified on 1 June 2014 at 17:02.
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